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Dean of Students

The election results and the end of the most divisive campaign season in recent history has had an impact on our campus. Reactions range from hurt and anger to confusion about why some are affected so negatively. Counseling and Psychological Services advocates for a campus climate that is supportive of all students’ mental health and this election’s focus on traditionally marginalized groups has exacerbated their lived experiences of racism, sexism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and other forms of oppression. Any form of oppression negatively impacts mental health and deters academic success.

If you are not part of an oppressed group or are confused about others’ reactions, we invite you to recognize that others’ lived experiences are different from yours. Not living with oppression is a privilege and can affect our ability to have empathy for others in situations we have not personally experienced. Listen with understanding and curiosity to others in pain without a need to challenge or be right. If we are going to move forward together we must have compassion for others and be willing to make space for perspectives different from our own.

Dean Sue Wasiolek, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students and

Dear Duke Parents,

Although most of you aren’t as old as I am, my hope is that you might remember or be familiar with John Denver, a songwriter and performer who tragically died in a plane crash in 1997. I used to listen to John Denver’s songs all the time and I recently came across a video of him reciting a poem entitled, “Ambulance Down in the Valley.” My attention went to one particular verse:

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling.
To rescue the fallen is good, but ’tis best
To prevent other people from falling….

Better put a strong fence ’round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley.

Many of us put a very high value on our health and try, as best we can, to engage in “clean living.” We do this for a number of reasons: we believe it allows us to enjoy a higher quality of life, to feel more energized and perform better in our work. So, we do what we can to prevent illness and reduce stress. In other words, we put up a “strong fence,” trying to avoid relying on “an ambulance down in the valley.” This is what we hope to encourage our students to do as well.

As we prepare to open the new Student Health and Wellness Building at Duke in January 2017, our hope is that we can begin in a more integrative and holistic way to help our students understand that they must learn how to be healthy because they need to be healthy to learn; they, too, need to think about their health and wellness with prevention in mind.

For the first time in Duke’s history, all the agencies on campus that support the health and wellness of our students will be co-located in the same building in the heart of West Campus. These include: Student Health (including nutrition), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), DukeReach (provides student outreach and support when concerning behavior is identified), and Student Wellness. It is so very exciting to imagine that our students will soon have the opportunity to truly take care of themselves in a preventative as well as a responsive way. Grounded in choices, values and identity and reinforced by the notion of self-care, our framework for delivering services and programs is designed around six dimensions of wellness. For more information, please see: https://studentaffairs.duke.edu/duwell/what-wellness.

More information about the new Student Health and Wellness Center will be made available to your students as we approach the Spring semester.

One last, but very important note. On September 1, we were thrilled to welcome Dr. Danielle Oakley to Duke as our new Director of Counseling and Psychological Services. In just a short six weeks, Dr. Oakley has brought her expertise in college mental health and her enormous energy in support of Duke students. I hope you enjoy learning more about her in this newsletter.

Wishing your students good health and wellness. Go Duke!

Sue Wasiolek
Dean of Students
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs

It is a pleasure to meet you! I am the new director for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), a unit on campus that supports your student on a path toward academic success. I am excited to be here given the commitment Duke has made to student wellness. Many institutions across the country are working to address mental health issues based on the fact that mental health is the number one factor in lowering retention and is a better predictor of college grade point average than ACT or SAT scores. The 97% four-year retention rate to graduation at Duke demonstrates that retention is not a significant issue on this campus; highlighting that Duke’s focus is supporting mental health services because student wellness is valued.

In January 2017, CAPS will be co-located with all of our health and wellness units, which will enhance the delivery of mental health, physical health, and wellness services in a collaborative model. My vision for the comprehensive delivery of mental health services is based on a “No wrong door” policy, believing that all faculty, staff, students, and families at Duke have the opportunity to impact the development of student lifelong wellness habits and change the trajectory of students’ lives. We will work in partnership to move beyond the walls of CAPS to engage the entire campus community in how to recognize, respond, and refer students in distress to appropriate resources and engage in strategic learning initiatives on campus that promote wellness. From a social justice perspective we will involve the community in conversations about racism and prejudice, climate issues that negatively impact mental health, and factors that deter academic success.

We hope that you will partner with us to encourage your student to seek out our services when needed. Each year CAPS serves a significant portion of the student body for issues such as anxiety/stress, depression, and relationship concerns.

Are you interested in an opportunity to assist students going through the undergraduate disciplinary process? Apply to become a Disciplinary Advisor today!

Disciplinary Advisors work with students who are under investigation for a possible violation of university policy, and they can also support students who are bringing forward a report of misconduct. They offer information about how the disciplinary process works, advice on how to approach each stage of the process, and can support students in attendance at an Undergraduate Conduct Board hearing.

The Office of Student Conduct staff welcomes you (back) to Duke! We know your time is valuable, so with that in mind, here are 10 things to keep in mind this year. For the overwhelming majority of you, this list will never apply directly to you, so we especially THANK YOU for reading through these items— and perhaps you can be a persuasive voice to your peers in steering them away from some of the negative behaviors described below, should you see them heading down a potentially perilous path.

1. You won't be able to participate in many off-campus programs (e.g., DukeEngage, study abroad) if you are on disciplinary probation (DP), which is a mid-level response to violations of university policy. DP is often issued, for example, as a sanction for distributing alcohol, smoking pot, having a fake ID, disorderly conduct, and repeated misconduct.

2. Suspension from Duke results in a permanent notation on one's transcript and often arises from academic dishonesty, distributing drugs, driving while impaired, fighting/other violence, or repeated misconduct. A student has to apply for readmission to Duke after being suspended; readmission is not guaranteed.

3. Sexual misconduct is not tolerated in our community and may result in permanent removal (EXPULSION) from the Duke community or other serious sanctions. Read through the Sexual Misconduct Policy here .

4. Know that the use of a fake ID carries risks. Bartenders can easily spot them, and local and state police agencies typically cite/arrest students if caught with one. One night of fun at an off-campus bar could result in a disciplinary record and hundreds of dollars in court costs and lawyer fees.

5. Pretend your grandparents are living next door to the off-campus residence you visit. Be respectful of the neighborhood, avoid littering, keep your noise down, and let your good judgment guide you rather than be compromised by a "groupthink" mentality and/or the excessive consumption of alcohol. Students who live off campus should recognize that neighbors unhappy with parties and their associated effects will seek enforcement action by the police, the city, and the university. Off-campus residences are not intended to be makeshift bars and clubs!

6. It's better to get a reduced grade/zero on an assignment for turning it in late rather than completing it in an academically dishonest way, which may result in suspension.

7. Fire extinguishers and fire alarm pulls are tempting to touch. Caution! A false alarm annoys your peers (especially at 3 AM), and the powder from a discharged fire extinguisher creates a mess. Students identified tampering with fire safety equipment will likely lose their on-campus housing.

8. Want to smoke pot as part of “Netflix and chill”? Don’t do it, particularly in the residential areas of campus. The odor permeates the air of the surrounding area, and despite good-sounding tips from the Internet, can’t easily be masked.

9. It is easy to overestimate the degree to which collaboration is permitted in a course. Clarify with your instructors the extent to which working with another on an assignment is permitted.

10. These days, graduate programs to which students apply (e.g., law school and medical school)— and more employers— are asking students to report disciplinary action taken against them, even if Duke has a policy of not externally reporting such action. Avoid creating future angst for yourself: a bad decision today could lead to much anxiety for you not only tomorrow, but years down the road, too. Think about long-term consequences of a particular choice for a single night of "fun."

The 2016-17 edition of The Duke Community Standard: A Guide for Undergraduateshas been released. This handbook outlines expectations for undergraduate student conduct (and for all students as it relates to Sexual Misconduct) and the procedures for investigating and adjudicating alleged violations of them. All students who live on campus should have received a copy when they moved in. Students who live off campus may request a copy by emailing conduct@duke.edu or stopping by the 2nd floor of Crowell Hall on East Campus between 8 AM and 5 PM Monday - Friday. Changes from last year's edition are noted here.

Working in higher education with the amazing students at Duke is an absolute pleasure. From the energy, creativity, and predictable rhythms of the academic school year, to the unexpected moments and achievements that keep everyone on their toes, there is nothing remotely like life on a university campus.

Each year begins with the excitement of an incoming class celebrated through convocation, from the fun of meeting new people and making new and unexpected connections, to the inevitable challenges connected to managing coursework and navigating a new environment, and concluding with year’s end and the mixed emotions of May baccalaureate and graduation ceremonies. Typically, once we near the Last Day of Classes (LDOC), our focus begins to shift towards reflection on the passing of another academic year. For all of the predictability associated with an academic schedule, one truism remains: no academic year is like any other.

Our current academic year has been highlighted in numerous ways by our student engagement and dedication inside and outside of the classroom. Student activism at Duke and around the country urged faculty and staff to review numerous policies and reflect on changes needed to best support those we serve. Duke football won their first bowl game in 50 years, defeating the University of Indiana in the Pinstripe Bowl. Additionally, two Duke seniors, Laura Roberts and Jay Ruckelshaus, were selected as Rhodes Scholars; others were selected for the Truman, Mitchell, and other numerous prestigious scholarships. Moreover, our students constantly surprise us by their connections bringing leading musicians, community leaders, and lecturers to Duke. Sue and I met Andy Grammer (singer, songwriter, pictured above) who just happened to host a concert for our undergraduates prior to a football game.

Highlights among our faculty included Paul Modrich, professor of biochemistry, being awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, after spending decades researching how mistakes in the DNA code are repaired. Additionally, faculty representing interdisciplinary academic perspectives hosted Winter Forum 2016: Madagascar 2030; Sustainable Development Innovation Challenge, which encouraged students to examine and develop realistic solutions to “turn a struggling state into a success.” Faculty-In-Residence (FIR) enriched the academic climate in the residence halls, and hundreds of students took advantage of our FLUNCH program designed to encourage students to share a meal with faculty members.

Parents have continued to support Duke University through their time, talents, and resources. Members of this community donate generously to the Duke Annual Fund, which provides numerous undergraduate student benefits. Approximately 25 families serve as advisors to the Vice President of Student Affairs via the Duke Parents Advisory Council, and thousands have responded to the Provost parent survey. Parent and family feedback influences our programming, communication, and outreach as we move into the next academic year.

Appreciation for the passing of another academic year brings a melancholy, as we will say goodbye to another class of students who will join our alumni ranks, and our interactions will be less frequent. However, this feeling is tempered with the excitement of an upcoming academic year, a new class of students we’re excited to meet, and a few other highlights coming in the new year. This summer, the West Union will continue a phased opening in preparation for the fall, when the entire Duke community will celebrate its benefits. For those families with returning students, we will be welcoming you to campus for Family Weekend programming, and opportunities to spend time with your students (November 4-6, 2016). Additionally, the spring of 2017 will mark the opening of the student health and wellness building, which will bring a holistic approach supporting all of our student’s health and wellness needs.

Certainly, our plans for the future are exciting, but it will be the surprises along the way that will define and highlight the year ahead. We look forward to sharing those times with you and your students.

Wishing you a great summer! Go Duke!

Sue Wasiolek
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Clay Adams
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Parent and Family Programs

Midterms are alive and well. As students, we’ve all realized that the hard way, unfortunately. In an act of solidarity, I’m gonna share some wisdom from Jean Hanson and Jo Supernaw at the Wellness center. With these myths busted you’ll, in my opinion, be able to kick midterm’s a** better. (Hint: It involves more sleep.)

Myth #1: The effects of my all-nighter only impacts me.

You may be the only one who gets to sport the Dukie-meets-phantom-menace look, but your worsened mood? Lack of focus? Degree of inefficiency? You can’t be as productive a teammate, as present a friend, nor as pleasant an acquaintance.

All-nighters don’t make you cool or more impressive. They make you tired.

Myth #2: Staying up those extra few hours to cram will help my GPA.

Hmm, not quite. Maybe you’ll luck out and get a few more points on the next test, but that crammed information is not going to stick around for long. It won’t even last until the next test without review. If you want more bang for your studying buck, you should sleep. During sleep, information we retain throughout the day goes into our long-term memory. (But more on the next blog.)

Benefits? Grade boost, and more time for pillow talk.

Myth #3: If I can’t sleep now, I’ll nap tomorrow and make it up.

It’s not just about getting that 8-9 hours, but getting them together. Naps might help a bit, but you’re actually unable to hit all the stages of sleep that way. Some stages of deep sleep are only unlocked after you’ve already been a sleep awhile. A 1-2 hour siesta isn’t enough to get the full benefits of deep slow-wave sleep. And that’s where all the juicy stuff happens so why would you want anything otherwise?

Myth #4: When I leave Duke, I’ll get more sleep.

Ha. Ha. Ha. (Or at least that’s what I’ve been told.)

I’m still a senior; I’m no authority on post-duke life. But what I do know is that people are creatures of habit. Our sleep habits now are perfect practice for our sleep habits later.

How did NAMI come into being? What was that catalyst that made you start this organization?

I recently completed my first year at Duke University. And, just as it is for many freshmen, the first year of college was, in fact, an extraordinary and exciting experience. But it was also extremely difficult, tiresome, and anxiety-ridden. The environment coupled with personal circumstances left me fighting to maintain my mental health.

Last December, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder.

I felt ashamed openly speaking about my struggles until a week into my sophomore year, when I spontaneously decided to share my personal story with a 15,000-person audience. I composed my story, quickly posted it on the ‘All Duke’ Facebook page, and sat in my Neuroscience course for the next hour terrified, trembling and catastrophizing. But, within hours of revealing my well-hidden story of mental illness, I received gestures of support from thousands of members within the Duke community and had hundreds of peers bravely messaging me with stories very similar to my own. Some spoke of their struggles with anxiety and depression, while others mentioned their fight with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Bipolar and Schizophrenia. But every student mentioned their struggle in overcoming the stigma that pervades mental illness.

Within weeks of posting my personal story, NAMI was founded and grew rapidly. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI at Duke is an on-campus branch of the national organization and was recognized by Duke University as an official undergraduate organization as of late September of Fall 2015. In the brief period since official recognition, NAMI at Duke has rapidly grown to more than 600 members, nearly 100 executive officers and has been lauded in the Huffington Post for organizing several impactful events focused on overcoming the stigma associated with mental illness at Duke University. NAMI at Duke members and officers now fervently work on over 45 key projects to benefit the mental health of its affiliated undergraduate community.

How are students and others on campus reacting to the organization’s efforts?

Today, after a year of endless therapy and medications, I have succeeded in overcoming many of the hardships I faced throughout my first year of college. Although I personally have reached a point where I can manage my illness, I’m aware that others in similar situations have struggled in silence for several years and continue to do so. Unfortunately, this stigma associated with mental illness is not exclusive to Duke’s community. Today, mental illness is one of the most pervasive issues afflicting college students. Even so, it is seldom discussed.

It has been extraordinary how the Duke community has responded to the introduction of a new mental health community. The student body and greater Duke community has demonstrated extraordinary interest and involvement in the work that we contribute on campus. Students, faculty, and administration have all come together to facilitate conversations on mental health, to establish more prominent support groups on campus, and to introduce additional resources on campus to support anyone struggling with mental illness. And it has been amazing to see peers come together in support of mental health and in support of each other. Within months of being founded, NAMI at Duke has grown rapidly and has been nominated as an “Up and Coming Group” on campus twice.

The stigma around mental illness has been lessening, but is far from gone. Is the stigma of mental illness the largest issue the organization has to overcome? How are you working toward that goal?

Although the mental health climate has certainly improved with ongoing effort, the stigma surrounding mental illness is still very present. Today, 1 in 4 college students struggle with some form of mental illness. As a result, tackling the stigma associated with mental illness has evolved into one of NAMI at Duke's core missions, and several of our most important projects, events and fundraisers have been founded on the specific goal of overcoming stigma. Nevertheless, we simultaneously have also focused on other mental-health related areas such as education and advocacy.

In the past semester and a half, we have had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous different organizations and departments on campus. Namely, we have worked closely with student groups including Sophomore Class Council, Duke Student Government, and Me Too Monologues and others. But, we also have had the chance to work alongside other NAMI-on-campus chapters in North Carolina, Duke Medicine, CAPS and even non-profits in the local area.

Although we work on numerous different projects throughout the year, a lot of our efforts materialize during the Mental Health Awareness Week that we organize each semester.

This past week, NAMI at Duke headed its second Mental Health Awareness Week. Some events that have been organized in the past have included student panels, speakers, and other advocacy-related programs. We have raised awareness by distributing nearly 1,000 Mental Health Awareness Week shirts. We have organized events such as “Donuts for Love” to broaden the conversation on mental health and include the greater Duke population in our efforts. During this event, students write an anonymous supportive letter to a friend in the Duke community, which we deliver to the friend; in exchange, the student receives a free donut for participating. In the past year, NAMI at Duke has distributed over 2,000 donuts and delivered nearly 2,500 letters from peers. Other events organized by NAMI have taken a more policy-oriented approach. In fact, we have worked on surveys to assess the general mental health climate on campus. We have also worked closely with deans and administration to address any mental health-related issues that impact students on campus. Ultimately, though, these are only a few of many projects that we have worked on over the past semester and, in general, most of our events have focused on three core values: education, advocacy, and community.

Where are you now, and where do you hope to take NAMI’s efforts moving forward?

It is unquestionable that the Duke community is taking charge in improving its mental health resources and it also is undeniable that an amazing amount of progress has been made for the mental health community present on campus. The Duke administration has provided amazing ongoing support and our advisors, Professor Rainbo Hultman and Dr. Gary Glass, have been the most extraordinary mentors, advisors and friends.

But, mental health should not be a topic that requires permission and approval to discuss. The progress that our community has made in the past year has certainly been both exceptional and unprecedented, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

The experience I had in sharing my illness lead me to several key realizations. In order to eradicate this culture of silence and catalyze significant change in the realm of mental health, we need to open dialogue. Sparking discussion on mental illness can have a long-lasting and extraordinary impact on increasing education and eliminating the misconceptions that surround mental illness—it definitely has in my small university bubble. I cannot imagine the remarkable amount of change that simple discussion has the potential to invoke in our world. More importantly, I discovered that while misunderstanding and misconceptions do exist and there definitely are those that will criticize, antagonize and stigmatize, I promise that there also are those who care. There assuredly are individuals in our communities that are wiling to give their support. And we, as individuals dealing with mental illnesses, have to fulfill our responsibility by learning to trust those individuals, by learning to confidently share our struggles, and by learning to be proud of our fight.

Over the next year, NAMI aims to continue working towards overcoming the stigma surrounding mental illness, while also making progress towards a more prominent community for students struggling with mental illness.

As many of you know, early in the morning yesterday someone entered my dorm and sprawled on the wall of the first floor, “Death to all fags @ Jack.” In just five words and an ‘at’ symbol, my sense of security and safety on this campus was shattered.

Efforts have been made to find the assailant but the likelihood of success seems minimal. However, the person who wrote on the wall is greatly unimportant.

I would like for people to understand who I am. I wish to be a peer and not a name. I grew up near Boston with a single mother and siblings. I played sports throughout school and spent summers volunteering. I am a freshman but have lived as a proudly out and visible gay man on Duke’s campus. I am Jack. I am the fag. I do not deserve this treatment. No one deserves this treatment.

What happened was an attack on the integrity of our campus, a hate crime, a death threat, and an assault on LGBT+ rights. However, and perhaps more importantly, it was an indication of the conversations that have yet to be had and the work that is yet to be done.

Janelle addresses the Queer community:

To the students of Duke University, we know that you may not feel safe in light of recent events, but the Duke community is here to provide support. As a brave and united community, we stand strong in the face of adversity and will not tolerate hateful actions. Your safety and your ability to freely express your sexual or gender identity is of the utmost importance and we stand by the queer community in every way.

We encourage everyone to take the necessary steps to ensure self-care. The queer community extends kindness and love to anyone who may have been affected by this incident and we welcome all Duke students, regardless of background, race, or identity with open arms. We acknowledge the prevailing difficulties that an open, or closeted, person may face, despite recent strides toward equality. To those of you are uncomfortable or afraid of being open about your identity or who you are, we especially extend support and love to you.

It’s tragic that an event like this can occur on this campus and can potentially keep a person from realizing their full potential and identity. Coming to Duke, as a first-year student, I expected to be part of a open and understanding environment and, for the most part, I have felt that way. But incidents like this and the ones preceding it, have made me realize just how far we have to go. The threat that Jack received is part of a larger chain of aggressions that we will continue to fight day in and day out. The Duke community and, more specifically, the Queer community, will not back down until situations like this cease to exist. Thank you.

Tyler address the administration:

During the 1960’s, Duke, in collusion with the FBI, sought out LGBT+ students and expelled them on the basis of their identity. I think it is very clear when I use the word “policing” to describe this purge, to remove queer students from this Duke community and set a cultural precedent that “gay way not okay”.

Yesterday, 50 years later, written in sharpie across East House wall, there was a death threat towards “fags”. What this tells me is that it’s still not okay to be queer. To talk gay, to dress gay, or be gay. It tells me that I’m still being “policed”.

If you avoid saying hi to a trans individual because you are uncomfortable using their gender pronouns, you are isolating them.If you’re uncomfortable by your peer’s blackness and don’t internally work to excavate that, you are policing them. When people are STANDING UP for themselves and you let this campus tell them who they are is something to be ashamed of, you are policing them. We expelled people for their identities in the 1960’s, but If people are leaving this community from feeling isolated, from feeling unsafe, from feeling subordinate, is the result not the exact same?

To the administration: With your support, we spent the past year remembering the discrimination that LGBTQ students experienced in Duke’s history. Today is a remind that those events are not all in the past. It’s a reminder that this campus is not yet safe for queer students. While this may appear to stand alone as an isolated incident, it’s the visible representation of policing LGBTQ identities. As queer students, we do not feel safe on this campus - not just because of events that took place yesterday, but also because of subtle aggressions and assumptions that are made every day.

We demand a zero-tolerance policy for these threats of violence against our communities.

We demand cultural literacy training mandated for first-years, so that they have tools to even begin understanding and engaging in these conversations.

We demand a Sexuality Studies degree, so that we can study our history, and our movement.

Universities are unique places. Every 4 years, the student body entirely refreshes itself. While this provides a great opportunity for rapid progress, the institutional memory only lasts so long. We need the help of the administration and faculty to recognize this crime is not an isolated incident. Though we want to celebrate the progress we have made, we ask that you also recognize how far we have to go.

Finally, I want to tell all of us, that there is NOTHING wrong with who you are. There is NOTHING wrong with strutting down main quad in heels, in sounding gay (or black or east asian or south asian for that matter), there’s NOTHING wrong with questioning the sexuality or gender identity that you want to live. And I urge our campus to practice not just tolerating that, but CELEBRATING it. I push everyone to create a space where we can CELEBRATE who we are.

Jack closes:

I want to thank everyone for making the effort to be here today and everyone who has shown me and other LGBTQ students love and support. It is truly unfortunate that the cultural illiteracy and ignorance of one simpleton has to tarnish the name of this great university and detract from all the progress that has been fought for and made on this campus.

I have no interest in addressing the assailant. Bigots in isolation will find very little solace in this, an evolving world.

Rather, I wish to address the average straight, cisgender person. Since I was oh so eloquently addressed the other night, I would like to address those who truly need a memo addressed to them.

So to the average straight cisgender person: THIS EVENT IS NOT INDEPENDENT OF YOU. These ideologies of bigotry do not continue to live on into the 21st century through some elusive mechanism: You are the mechanism. Every time you allow a slur to slide, a joke to be made, a social construct of heteronormative cissexism to continue, YOU allow a stranger to threaten my life. YOU allow a trans woman to be murdered. YOU allow an innocent queer teen to commit one more untimely suicide. Please do not allow this event and others like it to distance the average person from the issues. The average person is the issue.

To the anonymous contributors on Yik Yak and those adding to the white noise of indifference claiming that this is being blown out of proportion: You have neither the right nor the insight to speak to the oppression that queer bodies undergo daily. Your anonymous commentary is on the same plane as the bigot who snuck into my dorm.

To those idly standing by: What you are doing is as hurtful to me and to my people as anything that any bigot could sprawl on a wall or even nail to my back. Allyship is an active engagement and not a status. A Love=Love shirt will not gain us first class citizenship. Only active conversation, policy revision, and cultural assessment will do that.

To the queer community, out and otherwise: You are not alone. Even if there seems to be a world of people against you, a world which I must say is rapidly shrinking, you are not alone. Even if your not being alone only entails my being there for you, I will be there. There are communities and campus resources and discussion groups and social networks and programs and more all designed with the invariable purpose of supporting you. Please take advantage of these channels.

To all Duke students: ENGAGE. Engage people in challenging conversations everywhere you go, for we cannot take a break from dealing with oppression so you should not take a break from dealing with privilege. Use all spaces for this discourse: classrooms, dorms, Greek life, SLGs, bus rides, dining halls, everywhere. Specifically, come to the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity’s Friday programming, “Kickback,” at 3 pm today to continue this conversation. Both allies and queer people are welcome and encouraged.

While sympathy and kind thoughts are appreciated, they are not constructive. We need to create a world in which allies truly love and fight for queer people and queer people hold their straight cisgender counterparts accountable. Thank you.